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Recycled Birdhouse DIY

Turn your recycling into treasure with this easy birdhouse project!

Recycled Birdhouse DIY
Recycled Birdhouse DIY
This image courtesy of plaidonline.com

With this Recycled Birdhouse DIY, you can turn your unwanted recyclables into a fun piece of outdoor decor. This is a great project to make with kids, because it allows their creativity to be set free. You can paint the popsicle stick roof a rainbow of colors, or add fun designs to the milk carton walls. This family-friendly craft is also a great way to live a little greener and get some extra use out of something you might have ordinarily tossed out on trash day. 

Time to CompleteWeekend project

Main MaterialRecycled Materials

Primary TechniquePainting

Intermediate

Project TypeMake a Project

Materials List

  • FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Sky Blue, 2 oz.
  • FolkArt ® Acrylic Colors - Asphaltum, 2 oz.
  • Mod Podge ® Gloss, 8 oz.
  • Milk carton - pint size (without plastic pouring spout)
  • 11 Popsicle sticks
  • Scrap piece of scrapbook paper or wrapping paper
  • Several twigs
  • Hot glue gun
  • Craft knife
  • Scissors
  • Stapler
  • Foam brush
  • 1" paint brush

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry carton. 

  2. Completely open both sides of the top of the carton. 

  3. Draw a circle, two thirds of the way up (this will be the front side of the birdhouse), using the cap of the paint bottle as a template and cut out with an craft knife.

  4. Paint all edges of the carton with Asphaltum; dry. 

  5. Measure and cut the paper to fit each side and the two top sides of carton that fold out (cut the paper slightly smaller than each side of the carton and cut a hole on the paper piece that will be the front).

  6. Use Mod Podge to glue papers to the carton; dry. 

  7. Touch up edges with Asphaltum; dry

  8. Give the entire carton a second coat of Mod Podge; dry.

  9. Close the top of the carton and staple shut. 

  10. Cut 9 of the Popsicle sticks in half (you should have 18 pieces) and glue 7 pieces to each side forming the roof. Cut the ends of the remaining 4 pieces at an angle to create the siding of the roof (refer to photo); glue in place.

  11. Cut the remaining two Popsicle sticks into 2½” pieces and glue on each side of the middle top flap section, leaving ¼” space in the front for the cross. 

  12. Trim the exposed top flap of the carton level with the sticks; cut out the ¼” space (this is where you will glue the cross). 

  13. Paint the entire roof with Asphaltum; dry. 

  14. Using the craft knife, cut a small “X” just under the hole; push a 1½" twig into the “X” and hot glue in place.

  15. Use twigs to create a cross for the top of the birdhouse and hot glue in place. 

  16. Hot glue a 2½" twig to the top of the roof along the middle, just behind the cross.

  17. Dry brush the entire roof, cross and twigs with Sky Blue.

How would you paint your birdhouse? Share with us in the comments! 

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